The present invention relates generally to a reel seat assembly for securing a reel to a fishing rod. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reel foot holder for a reel seat assembly, which adjustably accommodates various sized reel feet.
Reel seats have long been used for securing a reel to a fishing rod. Ideally, the reel seat is easily adjustable, thereby permitting the user to remove the reel from the rod with little effort.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,742 to Ohmura, shows a known reel seat body having an externally threaded end and a fixedly mounted hood (i.e., reel foot holder) which holds one end of a reel foot in place. A slidable hood is provided that opens toward the fixed hood. The seat body includes a step which defines the, end of travel of the slidable hood. The fixed hood includes a reel leg-engaging member which is slidably displaceable toward and away from the slidable hood as well as an elastic material for backing up the member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,852 to Yamato, also discloses a typical reel seat including a tubular fixture body having a screw thread, a fixing holder, a pusher which is movable toward or away from the fixing holder, and a threaded ring for operating the movable pusher. In addition, a plurality of locking grooves extend lengthwise of the fixture body. These locking grooves are spaced at predetermined intervals circumferentially of the fixture body. A projection, engageable with one of the locking grooves, restrains the threaded ring from loosening prematurely. As a result, the projection can be changed between engaged and disengaged positions with one of the locking grooves.
While the above-discussed patents show how the industry is striving to make reel seats which are more reliable and easier to use, there has been no development of reel seats capable of accommodating reel feet of different size. Typically, reel feet have a wide range of lengths and heights. In an effort to make reels compatible with different brands of reel seats, manufacturers have begun to standardize the of reel feet for particular classes of reels. This standardization has enabled manufacturers to design reel seats capable of accommodating reel feet for a specific class. Despite these standard dimensions, however, fisherman have still been limited to the particular classes of reels that can be used with a given reel seat. For example, a fisherman who fishes small streams and rivers can not switch reels and use the same rod with a larger reel since the reel foot will not fit into the smaller reel seat. Simply stated, different types of fishing require different types of reels, and different reels have reel feet of varying dimensions.
Currently, a fisherman has two options with respect to using two different size reels. First, he or she may replace the reel seat before using a different reel with a particular rod. However, replacing a reel seat is one of the most difficult modifications a fisherman (especially a fly fisherman) could undertake. Secondly, he or she may purchase at least two rods with different reel seats; one which accommodates a large reel foot, and another which accommodates a smaller reel foot. This is unduly expensive.
To date, the fishing industry has failed to provide a reel seat capable of accommodating reel feet with different dimensions. Accordingly, fisherman are limited as to reel choice for a given fishing rod.
In commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,740, which is incorporated herein by reference, a reel seat assembly is provided that includes a reel foot holder for accommodating reel feet of various sizes. The present application improves further on this concept.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a reel seat assembly which overcomes the above-noted problems found in the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a reel seat assembly having an adjustable foot holder capable of securing more than one size of reel foot.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a reel foot assembly for detachably securing various sizes of reel feet for use in a fishing rod is provided. The reel foot assembly includes a tubular body and a first reel foot holder, which is fixedly mounted proximate a first end of the tubular body, and which has a reel foot receiving area. A second reel foot holder is positioned proximate a second end of the tubular body, and is moveable along a length of the tubular body. The second reel foot holder has an interior surface, at least a portion of which has a substantially continuously increasing radius. Lastly, there is included a securing member for locking the axial position of the second reel foot holder along the tubular body.
Since a portion of the interior surface of the second reel foot holder has a continuously increasing radius, reel feet of various sizes can be secured easily within the second reel foot holder. Preferably, the interior surface of the second reel foot holder increases between a first radius and a second radius along a substantially continuously varying profile around substantially the entire inner circumference of the second reel foot holder.
More preferably, an axial portion of the interior surface of the second reel foot holder substantially continuously increases as the radius thereof increases, and that axial portion forms a taper angle with respect to a central axis of the tubular body, wherein the taper angle substantially continuously increases as the radius of that axial portion of the interior surface increases.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the reel foot assembly having an adjustable foot holder is simple to use and manufacture, requires a minimum number of parts and is reliable, yet versatile. Advantageously, and by accommodating different sized reels on a single rod, the reel seat assembly of the present invention eliminates the need of the fisherman to purchase a plurality of expensive rods.
These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.